Hamilton tried new methods to bulk up for 2019

Lewis Hamilton mixed up his training regime over the winter to bulk up under Formula 1’s new driver weight rules, and says he is in his best condition ever.

Last year the five-time world champion pledged to become a “different athlete” after F1 committed to introducing a minimum driver weight of 80kg, separate from the car.

That has allowed drivers to ease off extreme dieting as well as focus on building more strength, with Hamilton gaining several kilograms of muscle mass.

“I’m still within the limit, so I’m good,” Hamilton said when asked about his physical condition by Motorsport.com.

“Every year, the fundamentals are the same, trying to reach a similar target every year, so to have that bar lifted and to really dig deep into other elements of training has been quite an exciting challenge.

“Every year when you get back into training it’s painful. But trying different methods – I worked with several different people for once – to try different things throughout the weeks was exciting.

“And I get to take that throughout the year. Deep-rooted, core-wise, I feel stronger than I’ve been in a long time.”